Seasons
by Shining Time Station
Summary: Not all stories are destined to happy endings. Not everything goes the way that's planned. This story chronicles Schemer's life events from June 1997 to September 2012. AU to my other stories.
1. Prologue

Just wanted to say before I post this, this story isn't a reflection of my current state of mind! I'm very happy with life, but this story inspiration sort of came in a dream so I wanted to write it out before I forgot it. You don't need to read my previous story to understand this one, and the style is different from what I've previously done. At the end of each chapter I'm going to list a song that best reflects the chapter, so I'd recommend listening to it for the reading experience! Thanks for reading!

* * *

**September 2012**

Two people stood in the middle of Shining Time Station. They stood wordlessly side by side for at least ten minutes before one turned to the other, leaning heavily on the cane held in their hand.

"Well, I guess it all started and ended here," was said with a heavy sigh.

The other participant stared wordlessly to where the former arcade used to stand, and swept his gaze over to the old Station Master's desk with ghosts in his eyes. Finally the haunted eyes deflected to the floor where they remained.

"Yeah, I guess it does." Was all that was said.

The first hobbled over to the ticket desk in the middle of the floor and placed one hand softly on the aged wood.

The second followed and put one hand over the other's hand. The first was shocked by the rare show of affection and looked up to meet tear filled eyes.

"Was there anything that I could have done?" The second asked.

The first squeezed the proffered hand tightly.

"No. No, there wasn't anything that could have prevented this."

"But I keep thinking that things could have been different."

"They could have, but they weren't. This wasn't the path that we were directed on."

The second slowly turned away, looking defeated. The first walked towards the door with some difficulty.

"I'm going back to the funeral. Are you staying here?"

"No. There's nothing left here." Was the hollow response.

They walked out without another word, trying to ignore the emptiness that the sign hanging on the door brought.

"Station Closed Permanently".

* * *

Breathe me - Sia


	2. Never Let Go

_"So... Did you want to talk about it?" He ventured awkwardly. Not the greatest conversation starter._

_She placed her fork down and wiped her mouth on a napkin. "I think we should talk about what happens next." She suggested._

_He blushed, "Yeah, that's what I meant." Giving a nervous version of his trademark laugh. "So where do we go from here?"_

_She didn't answer for awhile, finally she came up with a response. "It... depends." She said vaguely._

_"What do you mean?" He asked, looking puzzled._

_"Well, it depends if this is a one time thing that is never going to happen again. You know, something unspoken that we never acknowledge aloud because it never meant anything. Or if this is... something else." She said, looking away and not reaching his eyes._

_Schemer looked a little confused. "If it didn't mean anything to you, why would you allow it to happen?" He asked with genuine curiosity._

_"It did mean something to me!" She said, startled from his question. "I just wasn't sure if it meant something to you as well..." She trailed off._

_He reached forward and put his hand on hers. "Stacy, I don't want you to think that I think it didn't mean something. I would never want it to be meaningless." He said sincerely._

_She looked up to meet his gaze, his warm eyes were pleading with her, she felt herself be moved by him._

**Excerpt from Understanding and Promises, Chapter 2.**

* * *

**June 1997**

Schemer perched himself on Billy's desk, looking quite pleased with himself.

"It's finally happening Billy, she's finally giving me a chance!" He pumped the air with his fist victoriously.

"Congratulations Schemer." Billy said wryly. "But I really don't want to hear any of the gory details of last night."

"I don't kiss and tell. But seriously, what should we do tonight for a date? I really need to impress her." Schemer looked serious, and that was usually a sign that he really meant business.

"Okay, I've got an idea. I was sort of figuring that you'd need my help so I thought about it in advance. Listen up."

* * *

A star and candlelit late night picnic, complete with a movie projected onto the white walls outside of Shining Time Station, concluded with a serenade by the Jukebox Band, was their date. They danced slowly in the middle of the station. Schemer held her tenderly in his arms and brushed a stray piece of hair off her face with the back of his thumb.

He kissed her softly with both hands on either side of her face and she responded by holding onto his shoulders tighter and sighing.

It was the happiest he could remember being, and hoped she'd never let go.

* * *

Crash Push - Draco Rosa


	3. I'm a Patient Man

**June 1997**

The next morning at the Station Stacy was kneeling at the front of her desk, changing the schedule around for the day. Hearing the door to the Station open, Stacy assumed it was just Billy coming in from his morning inspection.

"Sorry Billy, but could I bother you to do me a favour?" Stacy asked.

"Stacy, nothing that you ask me could ever be a bother." The reply was in the form of a deep, southern drawl.

Stacy's deep brown eyes widened in shock. She turned around, hair whipping around her face, to view the owner of the voice. Tall and handsome, Ned Kincaid, stood smiling at the top of the steps. He stepped forward as Stacy slowly rose to her feet.

"Ned? But that's impossible! What are you doing here?" She asked with genuine shock in her voice.

"It wasn't easy, but I made it back to you." He said softly, while gently taking her hand in his. "I searched far and wide for someone with the same magic as Mr. Conductor so that I could return. Once I finally tracked down such a person and convinced him to give me a wishing star, I wished that I could come back to this time. This time, I won't be disappearing at the end of the day." He said solemnly.

She looked down at her hand that was currently being held. "I just… I'm in shock, Ned. I don't know what to say. I thought you were gone forever." She said softly.

"Forever is a long time to spend without you." He said tenderly. He began to lower his head to meet her lips. Closing her eyes she began to lean forward until the image of a certain someone sprang unbidden into her mind.

Pulling back abruptly, she took a step back. Ned looked at her with a mixture of surprise and concern.

Shaking her head she said, "No, I'm sorry. I just can't."

"I'm sorry Stacy but what's wrong? I don't understand." He asked gently.

"It's just that…. Well, it's complicated right now." She said truthfully, hugging her arms around her chest.

For a moment he didn't speak and Stacy was worried that she had hurt him. Finally he spoke up. "Well, I'm a patient man. I waited a long time and I'd be willing to wait a lifetime for you. If things ain't right, right now then I'll help make them better. But I do want you to know where I'll be. I'm staying at a ranch just outside the main part of town. I'll be doing some work there to earn my keep."

She flushed at the sound of the affection in his voice. "I'm flattered that you did all this for me, to say the least." Was all she could manage.

"Do you think I could see you again soon? I'd love to cook you a real cowboy dinner. Over a campfire and all."

She didn't realize she had spoken until she heard the words come out of her mouth. "Yes, that'll be nice."

At that moment, Schemer and Billy walked into the Station. Wearing a smile only seconds prior, Schemer's face fell immediately as he saw the sight in front of him. Stacy's hands held in his hands. They were oblivious to everything around them except each other. Billy had been looking at Schemer, who had been talking about the date last night, and watched as his face plummeted. He followed Schemer's gaze to what was disturbing him and felt his heart sink a little bit into his stomach.

"Shit... Sorry Schemer, I was rooting for you." He thought to himself.

Schemer left without another glance back, which is when Stacy noticed their presence.

* * *

Once Upon a Dream - Lana Del Ray


	4. Ned's Placeholder

**June 1997**

* * *

"Schemer!" She called, chasing after him.

He looked up from his car. "Yes Ms. Jones?" He asked.

"Don't call me that, please. You know I'm just Stacy to you." She said, realizing how upset he was.

"Do I?" He quirked an eyebrow and wore a mirthless smile.

"Schemer, please. I need you to know that nothing has happened between Ned and I. He just got here, from out of nowhere. I couldn't do something like that to you." Stacy gently said.

He looked her in the eyes briefly before looking away. Despite the short eye contact, she could still see the hurt in his eyes. "I know." He said softly. "You're too good to do something like that."

"My feelings for you haven't changed-" She began but he cut her off.

"And neither have your feelings for him."

She sighed. "No, that's not true. It's been a long time since I last saw him and a lot has happened since then. But it's hard… I guess, I guess I never got any real closure the last time. I never got a chance to speak to him or anything. But none of that matters anymore, I need you to trust me. I'm with you now Schemer, I still want to go on another date with you." She tried to convince him.

He exhaled a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "So you're not ending things with me, but you've pretty much just confirmed that you still have feelings for him." He said with defeat in his voice.

"No that's not what…. I don't exactly reciprocate the feelings he has for me anymore. He travelled all this way just to find me, he never moved on. He said that he would wait a lifetime for me and that he wasn't going to just give me up without a fight. It's been overwhelming." She tried to explain, feeling like she was just getting more and more tangled up.

He looked unimpressed. "That's sweet." He said sarcastically. "I'm sorry to see that you're under so much pressure from his affections."

"Schemer I already said that I was with you!" She pleaded, feeling like she was losing this conversation badly.

"Yes! You're with me, you said that! But you're only staying with me to put your own guilt at ease. You still have feelings for him and they're not just going to go away! You say he won't give you up without a fight? What do you want me to do? Are you expecting me to challenge him to competition? May the best man win your fair hand? No, Stacy. I've fought for you for a long time and I would fight for you again. But not when your heart isn't in it. Not when you expect me re-win your feelings. If you're that confused, how do you expect us to be together? I love you but I won't be Ned's placeholder!" He wasn't shouting, but his voice was raised. Stacy cringed at the anger and hurt in his voice. The last thing she had wanted to do was upset him.

"Schemer it's not like that!"

"Then what is it like?" He sounded subdued again. "I don't know what to do Stacy. I can't spend the rest of my life wondering whether or not you love him as well. If you're only here because you feel like you owe me something then don't waste your time. You can't have it both ways."

They spent what seemed like a long time staring each other down, the air between them was emotionally charged. Finally Stacy broke the silence.

"I don't think I can promise you what you want me to promise you." She confessed, he had nailed the guilty feeling, that's exactly what oozed through her voice.

"I don't want it anymore. I've made my choice, and I don't need you to make me feel like you did me a favour by cutting me loose." He spat bitterly before throwing himself into the car and roaring away, leaving her standing behind, staring at his tracks much longer than she had intended.

* * *

Vance Joy - Riptide


	5. One Horse Town

**June 1997**

* * *

Schemer lay in bed sleeplessly, staring at his ceiling. What had unfolded earlier that day had unleashed a torrent of intrusive thoughts. Losing Stacy was the last thing he wanted, he loved her too much to deny it. He had pined for too long to ignore the hurt. But it brought up other problems.

Could he watch her be happy in the arms of another man for the rest of his life?

What if they didn't last? Unlikely. He knew the feelings that she had once had for Ned. There was no way that could happen now that he wasn't standing in the way. But if they didn't, would he forgive himself for inevitably pursuing her again? It would only show how much power she had over him. And he was far too stubborn to let that show.

Did he really want to stay in this one horse town for the rest of his life collecting nickels from dusty machines?

He closed his eyes slowly. The answer was no to everything. With a sigh he rolled over, trying to get some sleep so that he could process his thoughts for the morning. He needed to talk to a certain someone before he made any decisions.

It was the summer, so his nephew didn't have school. Schemee found his uncle sitting at the kitchen table when he went downstairs for the first time that morning.

"Morning Uncle." He said casually.

No response.

"Uncle?" He asked again. "You alright?" He took in the dark circles under Schemer's eyes and slightly rumpled clothing and hair. And how he was holding a thousand yard stare with the wall.

"Uncle!" He said, sounding sharper to get his attention.

Schemer noticed his presence. "Oh hey Schemee." He said dully, taking a sip of his now cold coffee.

"What's the matter with you? You look like you haven't slept in weeks." Schemee asked with concern.

"I didn't sleep last night, I was thinking." He said dully.

"About what? How to make yourself too tired to function? Because it's working." He snarked as he got up to get some cereal.

"I want to leave Shining Time." Schemer confessed, sadness carrying through on his voice.

The bowl dropped from Schemee's hand and crashed to the floor. It went unnoticed by both of them.

"Leave? Why do you want to leave?" Schemee frowned, confusion evident on his face.

"I can't stay here anymore. Not with her." His voice was gravelly.

Schemee seemed to understand.

"Stacy?"

"Yes."

After a pregnant pause Schemee asked, "When are we leaving?"

Schemer looked up with confusion. "I thought you'd rather stay here, I have an Uncle nearby where you could stay to finish your schooling."

"You're not leaving without me, and you're crazy to think that I'd leave you alone." Schemee said stubbornly.

Schemer watched incredulously as he left the room, feeling uplifted for the first time that day.

* * *

Linkin Park - Roads Untravelled


	6. Is She Happy?

**July 1998**

* * *

It had been over a year since Schemer and Schemee had moved to the state's capital. Though it was hard at first to settle in and essentially start over, they had managed. Due to changing high schools, Schemee was brought into a school that had much better coverage by university scouts and had landed himself a full ride scholarship as a shortstop on the state university's baseball team. Schemer had used his extra savings to start up a new business. He was trying to ride the internet popularity by buying into the internet cafe industry. It was simple, if not dull, and paid the bills with money to spare. He owned three across the city and couldn't complain about finances.

On the outside, he was still boastful and a braggart. To anyone else, his success seemed like it meant the world to him and nothing could be better in life. However, Schemee found his Uncle had gained a hollowness about him since leaving Shining Time. It wasn't anything impeding or obvious, it was just in the little things. Like when the silence set in and the loneliness etched itself on Schemer's face. Schemee wasn't too worried, the city was a big place and left his Uncle with many options to meet new people and they had only been here a year after all. But maybe it was too big of a place.

Schemee had just brought the mail up to their condo and placed it in front of his Uncle, who was sitting and reading the newspaper.

"How're the stocks doing Uncle?" He asked nonchalantly.

Schemer shrugged. "Alright, Apple is lagging behind a bit, I was going to go sell them this morning."

He was going to, but then something caught his eye peeking out from the pile of mail, and he forgot all about selling. A pink envelope was addressed to him in a familiar handwriting. He knew what it was before he opened it, and while he had been expecting it he just wasn't prepared to come so soon.

"What is it?" Schemee asked curiously.

Schemer's eyes flicked upwards sharply. "Some wonderful news." He said sarcastically.

* * *

Billy wasn't expecting Schemer to appear at his doorstep on his day off but he wasn't upset either.

"Schemer? It's been too long!" He said sincerely.

Schemer haughtily strode through the door. "Time flies by, business has been booming, it feels like yesterday since I left." He threw himself down into an armchair and casually flashed the invitation. "So when did this happen?" He asked nonchalantly.

"Uh, well, it's been going on since last summer. I'm guessing this isn't just a random visit?" Billy asked as he slid into another armchair.

"Why didn't you warn me that this was coming?" Schemer straightened up and his expression turned serious.

"Schemer, surely you knew this was coming."

"Not this soon! Who in their right mind gets married a year after getting together?! Ridiculous. And how tacky is a pink envel-"

"Schemer!" Billy barked sharply, cutting him off. Schemer looked up, startled and annoyed.

"I don't care if you show up unannounced for a visit, I'd actually be happy about it because you disappeared off the face of the earth, but do not barge in here and start insulting my other best friend. You left. You made that choice. It's not anybody's fault that you didn't try and keep up with any of us."

Schemer stared at Billy, mouth gapping open in shock, before slowly turning his head to stare at his folded hands. "I... I guess I should have seen this coming."

Billy clapped him on the shoulder gently. "It's okay, I know you weren't over it."

"How could you tell?" Schemer asked, looking up.

"Because you never came back." Billy said simply.

"I didn't want to dwell on it." Schemer said, hands steepled under his chin.

"No, and you did the best thing for you. You have your new business up and running and it's going well. Schemee has been successful with school and sports. What you did was admirable, and even if you're still hurt you moved on with your life." Billy explained gently.

"Is she happy?"

"Yes, she is. I may not like Ned that much, he's too traditional for me personally, but she does. And that's all that matters."

Schemer looked up with a crooked smile. "Say you don't like Ned one more time."

Billy just laughed.

* * *

Schemer went to the Station to deliver his invitation response, he was prepared to talk to Stacy and be cordial. But for whatever reason she wasn't at her desk. Being back at his old workplace was slightly uncomfortable for him. The nostalgia just made him depressed and the office that had been placed on top of the arcade seemed so final.

The nameplate "Paul Miller" hung on the door, Schemer wrinkled his nose in disdain.

He didn't feel like waiting around so he dropped it on her desk and left quickly.

* * *

Cheers, Darling - Damian Rice


	7. With the Light Brown Hair

**August 1998**

* * *

The day was beautiful, not a raincloud in the sky. Stacy was radiant in her dress and gazed at her reflection in mirror, she didn't have a doubt in her mind that she was doing the right thing.

A knock at the door broke her reverie. "Come in!"

There wasn't a doubt in her mind until that moment anyways. Schemer strode through the door confidently.

"Schemer! What are you doing here?" She spun around in confusion.

"I just wanted to wish you luck with your husband-to-be. I'm not staying for the ceremony or reception." He said as he slid into a Victorian era chair on the other side of the room.

"I... what? I appreciate that you came all this way, but this is a little inappropriate for you to be in here right now! I haven't seen you in a year and you just drop into my dressing room on my wedding day!" She sputtered.

He heaved a false sigh. "I know, but your invitation didn't say exactly when I could and could not come see you. So here I am." He flipped his palms up casually and placed them behind his head.

"Oh for goodness sakes." She was getting annoyed. "Schemer, what is it?"

"Dance with me."

"What?"

"Dance with me, please." He flicked his gaze up to her. "Dance with me and I'll leave you alone to your marital bliss."

She stood at a loss for words. "Okay, fine." She finally said.

He took her hand and placed the other on her waist. She looked up at him, trying to figure him out. He hummed a familiar tune, I Dream of Jeanie, and she placed it with little difficulty as they slowly rotated on the floor.

"You didn't have to go, you know." She said softly.

"Yes I did." He said simply.

"You're still infuriating." She gave him a curious look.

"Well, yes. But you never seemed to mind."

She kissed him full on the lips and he was caught unaware for the first time that day. He kissed her back before feeling a hint of remorse and breaking it off.

She looked ashamed. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what..." And broke off into silence. He stood open mouthed and shocked.

There were a million things he could have said but instead he turned around and said, "I have to go."

She just nodded, not meeting his eyes.

He briskly strode through the parking lot of the church. He caught Ned giving him a curious look but avoided his gaze. He tried to maintain confidence even though this was the most shaken he had felt since he left Shining Time for good.

* * *

I Dream of Jeanie - Jukebox Band version


	8. Nothing to Worry About

**June 2001**

* * *

Schemee burst through the front door. "Uncle Schemer!" He bellowed excitedly.

Schemer popped his head out from the living room. "Schemee? What's wrong, why are you home from school so early in baseball season?" He asked with a frown.

But Schemee was all smiles and grabbed his Uncle by the shoulders enthusiastically. "Uncle Schemer! You won't believe what happened today!"

Schemer gave a dry smile. "I'm sure you'll tell me, and maybe it'll answer my earlier questions."

"It happened Uncle, it finally happened. We've been sending in my videos since the twelfth grade, and my coaches at school kept up with it!"

Schemer's eyes went. "You don't mean, they saw you?"

Schemee nodded excitedly. "They scouted me! I'm in the first year player draft!" He laughed with pure giddiness.

Schemer embraced him tightly. "I knew it would happen! You were, after all, taught by the best!"

Schemee laughed. "Now I just have to see which team I get drafted into, and then I get to go into their minor league team for training. I have to go tell everyone! I'm heading to Shining Time!"

Schemer nodded. "Your friends will be happy to hear about it. I'm so proud of you, tell everyone at Shining Time 'hello' for me." He said, shining with pride.

After Schemee left, Schemer moved to the kitchen to where his pill bottle and directions had been left out. The doctor had said that there was nothing to worry about, but Schemer didn't want Schemee noticing and worrying about anything. After all, there was nothing to worry about.

* * *

Big Leagues - Tom Cochrane


	9. Schemer's Placeholder

**June 2002**

* * *

Schemer sat with Billy outside Shining Time Station. Now that Schemer could leave his business in the hands of his upper management staff, he had more free time to visit. Sometimes he saw Stacy but he mostly just visited Billy and ran into her randomly. Their interactions felt mostly normal now, but he always felt a slight sting of loss at the sound of her voice. They had talked briefly about the incident on her wedding day and moved past it as best they could back in summer of 2001.

_"Schemer, I'm really sorry for how uncomfortable I made you feel." She said gently, and he didn't doubt her sincerity in the slightest. "I didn't want you to feel like you were the bad guy or like you did anything wrong because it was all my fault."_

_He was a little bit taken aback as she said this. They were alone in the Station, he had come in looking for Billy that day. "It's okay, I know you didn't mean it." He said, trying to shrug it off._

_"No, that's where you're wrong. I did mean it, and I had to accept it to move on. I also had to confess to Ned, I couldn't let him go on marrying me while I had kissed another man on my wedding day and meant it."_

_Now he was even more taken aback. "So you told him?"_

_"Yes, I told him that night. There was no time before the ceremony and it was either cancel the ceremony and leave him confused, or tell him that night while he still had a chance to annul it."_

_"And he was okay with it?"_

_"Well, yes and no. I was always honest about the circumstances under which I started dating him. I made sure he knew about us being together right before he returned. And I didn't date him right away, but he was relentless. I gave in eventually, but things moved very fast. Anyways, he forgave me, which is probably more than I deserve, but he made me promise that I wasn't just in it because he happened to be there."_

_Schemer was confused, and his head felt like it was spinning. "Why are you telling me all this?"_

_She looked away. "Because I didn't want you to feel used, I know you left on your own terms, but I didn't want you to think that you were replaceable. I was with you because I wanted to be, not because you happened to be there either."_

_He breathed heavily, trying to work it all out. "Thanks for letting me know. I guess, I shouldn't have been there that day in the first place."_

_He turned to leave but he couldn't hold back from asking something more. "Would things have been different if I hadn't left?"_

_She looked him in the eye instead of the bashful way she had been speaking to him earlier. "I love Ned, he's a wonderful man." She gave a small, sad smile. "But you were never his placeholder."_

_He made a face akin to a grimace and nodded slowly. He left without talking to anybody else that day._

He had been reminded of that conversation as he saw Stacy and Ned pass by them. Stacy gave a small to Billy and Schemer, Ned just gave Schemer a cold look. Schemer refused to be cowed by him and just stared back. They entered Shining Time Station.

"Pleasant fellow." Schemer said sarcastically.

"He's alright, I try to get along with him as best I can." Billy shrugged.

"Fortunately I don't have that problem." Schemer folded his arms behind his head and leaned back.

Stacy eventually came out to say a few words with them, and they exchanged pleasantries until she left. Ned came out shortly after. He scowled at the two and came towards them. Schemer braced himself, he may not be cowed by Ned anymore, but he was still aware that being confronted by someone much taller than him was not a good thing.

"I don't think it's right for two unmarried men to talk alone with another man's wife." Ned said somewhat dangerously.

Schemer grit his teeth and even Billy bristled a bit. "We were speaking outside to her in public, and we've been friends and coworkers with her for a long time. I hardly think we've stepped any boundaries." Billy said seriously.

"I don't know what things were like where you came from, but woman are free to do as they please in this time." Schemer said angrily, cutting off Ned's response to Billy.

"I don't like you Schemer, never have. I don't care what you have to say because your money and promiscuous ways mean nothing to me. Where I came from, men had integrity."

Schemer sputtered in frustration. "Then why don't you go back where you came!" He lashed out, losing his cool.

Ned just shook his head and walked away.

Billy heaved a sigh when Ned had left. "Don't let him get under your skin, he's not worth it."

Schemer suddenly felt fatigued by the exchange. "I'm exhausted, I'm heading back home." He grumbled. His eyes felt dry and gritty, it would be a long drive home.

* * *

Coldplay - Talk


	10. On Top of the World

**May 2003**

* * *

Schemer sat in his doctor's office, not really paying attention but still trying to listen at the same time. He was in a rush, and he didn't really care much for these silly little follow ups. Schemee's first game with the minor leagues was today. All the doctor ever did was change his medication, or perform another test, and he was expecting a similar in and out appointment today.

"It'd be in your best interest to go see a specialist at this point." The doctor informed him, looking serious. "I can get you an immediate appointment today, he's just on the other side of the hospital."

"I can't, I have to get to my nephew's baseball game." Schemer said a bit impatiently. "Isn't there just a new medication that you can give me and we can deal with this next time?"

The doctor sighed heavily. "Mr. Schemer, how long do you expect 'next time' to be available? Have you given your current predicament any thought? I told you last time, that was the last medication regime I could personally prescribe with confidence. The recent batch of test results were not good, you need to go see a specialist now."

Schemer set up an appointment for the next day. On his way out the doctor gave him some resources. "I think you should read this, the five stages are important to recognize. Your case is still positive, but I think you're in the denial stage."

When he was in the office he could care less about what the doctor said and just wanted to go see his nephew play. But now on the bleachers it was all he could do to pay attention to the game. He almost missed cheering for his nephew as he was called up, and told himself harshly to shake it off and pay attention.

He hadn't shared anything with Schemee regarding his situation, and didn't plan on it. No point in bringing down Schemee's mood while he was sitting on top of the world.

* * *

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Soul to Squeeze


	11. Little Talks

**June 2003**

* * *

If anyone noticed anything wrong with Schemer, they didn't say anything. This suited him just fine. Once upon a time he may have milked his problems for all they were worth, but now he just wanted normalcy.

Treatments were routine and uncomfortable, yet manageable. He made no mention to anyone regarding where he was going on at regular intervals or that he even had appointments. He was preparing to go to his most recent one, which was scheduled in about an hour, when he heard a knock at his door. To his surprise, Billy had come for a visit to his penthouse apartment.

"You busy?" He asked.

"No, not at all." Schemer replied, leading Billy to the living room. He'd much rather talk to a friend than go to the latest treatment.

"So I'm leaving Shining Time." Billy said simply.

"What? Why?" Schemer was surprised. A sudden moment of deja-vu struck him as he remembered Schemee's reaction to when Schemer told him that he wanted to leave.

"Because I don't have a job there anymore." Billy said with a small smile.

Schemer was surprised. Once again, he was struck with the reverse polarity of the situation. Billy explained what had been going on. It had all started when Shining Time Station had essentially been taken over by a new co-owner, Paul Miller. Stacy and Billy didn't particularly like him, but managed to get on without too much incident. However, recently Paul had made the move to make Shining Time Station more automated and had Billy and Stacy laid off. That's all there really was to it. J.B. King didn't or couldn't do much to help the situation

"So do you need a job?" Schemer had concern in his voice. "I can get you one no problem."

Billy smiled again. "No, I'm fine. But thank you for the offer, Schemer. I'm actually heading back to the reservation where my family is from. They've been having a lot of problems so I'm going to go see what I can do to help. I just stopped in to let you know. It's a little ways away, so I probably won't see you as often."

Schemer nodded. "Thanks Billy, I hope it goes well. Let me know if you ever need anything."

When Billy was at the door to leave he turned around and faced Schemer carefully.

"I hope you feel better Schemer. Let me know if you ever need any help." He said softly.

It wasn't until after Billy had left and Schemer was on his way to his appointment that he realized that he hadn't ever told Billy he was sick.

* * *

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men


	12. Today is the Best Day

**August 2003**

* * *

Baseball had always been Schemer's favourite past time. It had been a long time since he'd ever played, high school at least, but he had coached the local Shining Time team for a number of years until the kids got older and he moved away. Now he mostly just watched Schemee's team from his private box. He had to admit, Major League games were much more exciting than the kids' old games, yet each game he watched made him nostalgic.

It was technically a private box, but he had agreed to go in with Schemee on it. Therefore, he was usually alone in it, but if Schemee had any friends coming down they could also use it. Schemer didn't mind, though lately he had enjoyed the quiet. He was usually feeling ill more often than not, and was prone to nausea, and didn't want any unwanted attention. Or anyone to notice anything amiss.

Since being sick and really starting to feel the effects on his body, he had been taking extra care with his appearance to make sure nobody noticed anything. To his disdain, and somewhat to his relief, his hair did not fall out entirely, only in thinning patches. They could be hidden though with regular hair cuts and styles. Any fluctuations in weight due to medications, were hidden with tailored clothing. As of late he was thinner, and usually felt cold, so the only thing about his outfits were that they were a little bit warmer for the season.

Halfway through the first inning Schemer was slightly surprised to see Schemee's old friends from Shining Time Station walk in. Usually Schemee gave him a heads up but he must have forgotten today.

"Oh hey Schemer!" Dan exclaimed happily. "It's been a long time!" Kara and Becky were with him as well and greeted him similarly.

Schemer smiled and accepted their hugs, momentarily forgetting his problems. It had been an extremely long time, and he had seen them at best for fleeting moments. It brought him back to his days of owning the arcade.

"Hey guys, I didn't realize that you'd be here today!"

"We weren't going to but we all had our schedules match up so we decided to come over."

They chatted while watching the game, catching up with each other's lives. They mostly knew about Schemer's life since leaving through Schemee. But it had been awhile since Schemer had heard about them and it was good to catch up.

It went without incident until Schemer got up to use the bathroom. While washing his hands he ran his finger through his hair, which was an unfortunate mistake on his part because the hair was weak, and to his absolute horror his curl had come loose as one piece.

As he looked down at the chunk of hair in his hand that used to be his curl he felt a sudden emptiness. Nobody knew what was happening to him, he hadn't told any of his family or friends. And here he was, alone in the bathroom of a private box in a baseball stadium, looking down at what used to be the biggest part of his physical identity, with no one to whom he could explain it.

Without a moment to spare he exited and grabbed the nearest hat he could find. Yanking it over his head he turned to the kids, no, adults, and forced a smile onto his face.

"Hey guys, sorry to rush out of here but I've got to go. I couldn't stay very late for this game."

"Oh that's too bad Schemer, is everything alright?" Becky asked with concern. Her big brown eyes seemed to pierce him and it simultaneously comforted and shook him further.

"Yeah... Yeah everything is fine, I'll see you soon hopefully." He said quickly, leaving them behind with curious faces.

* * *

Today - Smashing Pumpkins


	13. Finer Temptress

**August 2003**

* * *

Schemer tore home in a complete panic. No one would believe him if he said he was 'just cutting his curl off'. He collapsed behind the door after storming inside. What could he do?

Wheezing slightly from the mad dash, he was struck with an idea.

"Genius time!" He exclaimed, and felt a sting of loss at his old catchphrase. It reminded him of what he had just lost. It just wasn't the same without his curl. However, he still moved quickly to his room. He pulled a box out of his closet, and ripped the top off. It was his old box of disguises. He dug around for a few seconds before pulling out an imitation curl. He had a fake one, it used to sit on the mannequin in his old room at his mom's house.

It would have to do. He just needed a wig.

* * *

He had put in an order for a wig through a high end store the very next day. They were highly reputed and would be able to make a real human hair wig to match his old colour and style. It cost a lot, but it would be worth it.

Today he was at an appointment. Sometimes there were good days, and sometimes there were bad days. Today wasn't a good day. Usually the procedure was uncomfortable at worst, but today was one of the days where nausea was taking control. He was heavily relying on the bucket that they provided him and kept it close at hand, while the IV dripped the poisonous medicine into his veins.

After the procedure was finished, they let him recover for a little bit longer as he was quite dizzy and still feeling like he was going to be sick if he stood up. He sat there, on the procedure table, the toxic machine sitting next to him and a bucket clutched in his hands for dear life, feeling pathetic and weak.

And that's where she found him. He looked up weakly from where he sat at rock bottom, to see her descending down to him. The angelic curls framed her face still and her concerned eyes made him smile weakly.

"Welcome to my secret, Ms. Jones."

* * *

The Stranglers - Golden Brown


	14. Someone on Your Team

**September 2003**

* * *

She had been volunteering in the hospital the whole time. They hadn't crossed paths at all, and she didn't know he was being treated. Until one day, that is, when she was in the oncology ward. She saw his name on a chart, and came immediately.

"Why didn't you tell any of us?" She had asked.

"Because it wouldn't have benefited anyone." He insisted.

She hadn't pushed it, but he knew she didn't believe him.

Now, they had settled back into their old friendship. She wore no ring, and lived alone in an apartment. She never mentioned Ned, and he never asked about him. She'd stop by to bring him meals when he was busy with work or hospital visits. Eventually she started spending time at his place to keep him company. They were platonic, but Schemer had never forgotten the way she made him feel. Distancing himself had worked when she was married, both had deterred him from thinking too much about her, but the daily acts of her kindness and company were constant reminders of what could have been. He thought he recognized the look in her eyes from their days of long ago, but tried to convince himself it didn't exist. They had tried it once, it didn't work.

But, as he sat nursing his coffee alone one morning, he couldn't shrug off the fact that it could have worked. It technically had never been broken, or fell apart, circumstances just got in the way. But he was having problems justifying trying to make it work now. Circumstances were once again getting in the way.

A knock on the door broke him out of his reverie and he got up to see her at his door. They greeted each other warmly, and he let her in happily. Sometimes they ate breakfast together, sometimes they just sat and read together or watched television. Today they were eventually going to head out for a walk around the downtown neighbourhood.

However, another knock was heard at the door, and Schemee walked in unexpectedly through the front door.

"Hey Uncle Schemer!" He called out from the front hallway, Schemer was in the kitchen with Stacy, which had an entrance to the right of the hallway. He momentarily panicked. His wig was in the living room. Schemee couldn't see him right now, but a few steps further would reveal his secret if he didn't go slip out and get it now.

"Hey Schemee, one second!" He called trying to keep his voice from giving away any panic.

"Distract him." He hissed at Stacy desperately, motioning to his head. He could hear Schemee fumbling with his shoes.

She nodded and rushed into the front hallway, while Schemer slipped past quickly into the living room.

"Hey Schemee!" She said cheerfully.

"Oh hey Stacy, I had no idea you were here." He said surprisedly.

"I was just visiting your Uncle, we were going to head out later today. Unless you needed him for something." She explained, meanwhile Schemer was rushing to put the wig on properly and look presentable.

"Nah, I was just stopping in for a visit. I can head out if you're busy." He said, just as Schemer was checking his hair in the mirror.

"You can join us if you'd like." She offered politely. Just then, Schemer popped into the front hallway.

"Hey Schemee, sorry about that. I just had to grab something." He said hurriedly. "Sure, why don't you join us?"

"Only if it's not a bother, I'm heading out for a week for away games after tomorrow." He said with a proud grin.

They ended up going to a restaurant to grab breakfast, and at the first opportunity when they were alone Schemer worriedly grabbed Stacy's arm.

"He doesn't know." He confessed, looking lost.

"I know." She said, he could tell she felt bad for him, but at the same time didn't agree with his decision.

"Could you, you know, not tell him?" He asked, trying not to sound like he was pleading.

"I won't, and I wasn't going to. That's not my place." She said simply.

"Thank you." He said gratefully.

Breakfast went without a hitch and Stacy and Schemee seemed glad to see each other once again. Schemer felt genuinely happy watching them interact, it seemed natural. It took away from the stress that had currently taken hold in his life. When they parted, Stacy and Schemer went back to his apartment. They sat in silence for a little bit, reading, but Schemer couldn't ignore what had happened earlier.

He sighed and put down his newspaper. "Look, I know you don't like lying for me." He said cautiously.

She looked up. "I'm not lying directly, but yes, I don't like it." She agreed carefully.

"I know I should tell him." He confessed.

"Yes, you should. I'm not going to lecture you for it, but, Schemer just remember that he cares about you and you're his only family left." She said, looking guilty for having to say it.

"I know." He agreed, looking away with unease. "I'll tell him, I don't want to hide it anymore."

"That's good, I'm proud of you for handling everything so well. It's hard when you're on your own. Sometimes you just need someone on your team." She put a hand over one of his.

He looked up and met her eyes. "Yeah, sometimes you do." He agreed, and lightly touched her chin with his fingers. Tilting her lips up he lightly kissed her.

She reciprocated by putting her arms around his shoulders and pulling him in closer.

* * *

Coldplay - Yellow


	15. Fine, great

**September 2003**

* * *

Schemer had agreed to tell Schemee about the illness, and he meant when he said that he was going to do it. He really did. He had called him up one day and asked him to come over and spend some time with him. The general season was just about finishing and he knew Schemee didn't have any games left to play. Schemer didn't want to do anything to disrupt his season.

"So what did you want to do today?" Schemee asked as they were sitting with coffee in hand on Schemer's balcony, overlooking the city.

Schemer was lounging, looking intently at the skyline, trying to figure out when a good time to tell his nephew would be.

"Uncle Schemer?" Schemee questioned.

Schemer snapped back to reality. "Right, sorry. I was just thinking about something else. I know there's a basketball game on tonight, I can call up one of my business associates and see if his box is free." He took a sip of coffee.

Schemee wrinkled his forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"

Schemer choked on his sip of coffee. "Fine, great. What makes you ask that?" He asked, sputtering.

Schemee shrugged. "You look a bit unwell, not quite yourself. Dan said you didn't look so great at the baseball game that they saw you at."

"I wasn't feeling well that day, but it's all fine now." He instinctively lied, and then mentally berated himself. Now he was going to be caught in a much bigger lie later on today.

"Hmmm. Okay, that's good. Did you want to grab dinner and see if your friend's box is free?" Schemee suggested.

Schemer called up his friend and it turned out the box was free to use. Schemee went to use the bathroom before they left and Schemer remembered that he had left a pill bottle out on the counter.

Shit… Maybe he wouldn't notice? Or think anything of it? People over the age of forty take pills for a lot of things.

Fortunately Schemee came out and didn't mention it or look suspicious about it. Schemer felt relieved but realized it would only be temporary because he'd still be telling him later on. There was no getting around it.

* * *

They sat in the box, enjoying the game and making small talk. Schemer always enjoyed Schemee's company, and considered Schemee closest to him. If there was someone he could trust his problems to it would definitely be Schemee. So why was he having such a hard time telling Schemee what was wrong?

_Because Schemee would worry?_

_Because Schemee had no other parent in his life?_

_Because Schemee would know that he'd been hiding it for so long?_

Perhaps Schemee noticed the slightly stricken look on his Uncle's face, and he nudged his shoulder slightly.

"So why did you want to spend time with me today?" He smirked.

Schemer tried to mimic the smirk. "Can't I spend time with my favourite nephew?"

"You could, but you're usually less quiet and doing more scheming." Schemee pointed out.

Schemer laughed under his breath and sighed. "Uhh, listen Schemee, there's something I wanted to tell you."

"Hang on, me too." Schemee said. Schemer looked up with confusion written on his face.

"I wanted to thank you for everything. I wouldn't be here, or successful for that matter, if it weren't for everything you did for me." He said sincerely.

Schemer looked shocked for a moment before it registered with him. "Thanks Schemee. I… That means a lot to me."

"No problem, so what did you want to tell me?" He asked.

Schemer froze momentarily, thinking about his words carefully. Finally he sighed, "I just wanted to say how proud of you that I am."

_Shit._

* * *

When he got home Stacy was waiting for him.

"How did it go?" She asked concernedly.

"As well as expected." He said dully. He gave an indirect answer, it wasn't exactly a lie.

"You told him? You for sure told him?" She asked.

He smiled and kissed her. "Of course."

_Never mind, there it was._

* * *

Coming to Terms - Carolina Liar


	16. He's All I Have Left

**November 2003**

* * *

Stacy and Schemer spent most of their time together, and Schemer didn't worry too much about her and Schemee running into each other since Schemee was away at a winter training camp down south.

To his dismay, treatments weren't really helping his situation to improve. They weren't making things worse, but the doctors were growing concerned that progress was now growing stagnant. Surgery would be the next step. For now, they had him on a much greater regime of treatments. He wasn't feeling well almost constantly now, and didn't do too much with work for the time being. Leaving the penthouse was also a struggle. Stacy was wonderful to him, and did whatever she could to make him more comfortable and took care of most of the household work.

"I don't deserve you." He said one day.

She gave a smile. "Don't say that." She chastised him with humour.

"No really, I never should have walked away the first time." He said seriously.

The humour trickled from her face slowly. "Schemer, it's okay. That was a long time ago… And it doesn't matter anymore." She brightened up again. "Besides, we're here now. We found each other again."

He smiled gratefully. "Yes, we did." His cell phone suddenly began to ring.

"Hello? Yes, this is him… Kit? Oh hi, how's it going? What? Oh god, I'll be there as soon as I can."

Schemer's conversation very quickly developed a panicked tone. He turned to a worried Stacy as soon as he hung up the phone.

"It's about Billy." He said gravely.

* * *

They made their way to the hospital near Billy's reservation as fast as they could. When they got there, Kit greeted them at the hospital. He looked devastated. Stacy quickly embraced him to try and comfort him.

"He didn't do anything to deserve it! He was just helping out with some renovations around town. He was working on one of the general stores when it got robbed by a local gang. He helped some kids get out of there and they shot him!" He was close to tears, and nearly hyperventilating.

Stacy held him close while Schemer breathed heavily. Billy was one of his best friends, and he used to coach Kit on the kid's baseball team years ago, neither of them deserved this.

"How's he doing?" Schemer asked in a low voice.

Kit took a deep, yet shaky, breath and wiped the stray tears away. "He's come out of surgery, but he's in the ICU for now. He's not stable yet, they're not sure if he'll pull through."

The tears began to fall down his cheeks again. "He's all I have left, it's not fair."

Schemer felt his breath hitch in his throat.

* * *

The two of them waited with Kit in the ER waiting room until a doctor came to find him.

"Are you Kit Twofeathers?" He asked gently, as he walked up, clipboard in hand.

"Yes." Kit sat up straighter, trying to find the answer in the doctor's eyes.

"Your Uncle is beginning to stabilize. We'll need to keep a very close eye on him, and we can't promise he'll improve, but he's able to speak with you now."

Kit made a sound that was a cross between a cry and a relieved laugh. Schemer and Stacy grasped hands and Stacy breathed a sigh of relief. They went to go see him, and when they entered the room, Schemer felt scared at how small Billy looked lying on the bed. Usually Billy dwarfed Schemer, but now Schemer was the one looking down on him. They spoke to him and he stayed as coherent and conscious as he could manage.

They eventually left with the promise of coming back as soon as possible. And that they'd keep in close contact with Kit. They were both tired when they arrived back at Schemer's pent house, but Schemer was exceptionally exhausted.

Stacy held him close on the couch that night, and he found comfort in her embrace. But it couldn't shake off the deeply unsettled feeling that he currently had. He tried to call Schemee before he went to bed, but found that it went straight to his answering machine. He'd try again in the morning. Maybe he still had time to fix his mess.

* * *

Hurt - Johnny Cash cover


	17. Latest Lie

**November 2003**

* * *

The next day, as Schemer and Stacy were coming home from an appointment, they entered to find a pair of shoes already on his front mat. Schemer frowned, puzzled.

"Hello?" He called out.

There was no answer but some rustling coming from his master bedroom connected bedroom. He walked briskly, not bothering to remove his hat or shoes. Stacy moved to follow him but he held up one hand to keep her back.

"Hello?" He repeated once more, sounding annoyed now. He rounded the corner to the bathroom to find Schemee with his back to him.

"Schemee? Didn't you hear me calling? You scared the daylights out of us!" Schemer accused.

Schemee gave no indication that he heard anything that had been said. He tilted his hand ever so slightly and Schemer could see what he was occupied with. His stomach plummeted instantly.

"Schemee. What are you doing?" Schemer asked in a low voice.

"What is this for?" Schemee asked with an air of calmness, the eye of the storm. He was holding up a pill bottle. Three more were scattered on the counter.

"Schemee, please, put those away." Schemer asked worryingly.

"What. Is. This. For?" Schemee enunciated, drawing out each word abruptly. He turned to face his Uncle, his eyes hard and unyielding. "I saw one the last time, and looked it up after I left. This is a pretty serious medication, Uncle."

For Schemer, his world froze for what seemed like hours, when in reality it was only a few minutes. He tried desperately to search for the words, but they wouldn't come. He couldn't think of a single thing that would make this situation better.

"Stacy. Care to explain what my Uncle's latest lie is?" He asked darkly, dropping the bottle he had been inspecting onto the counter.

Stacy moved forwards, looking between them, worried. "Schemee, why don't we go sit down?" She almost was pleading.

"No. I want to know the truth right now. Right here." He almost snarled.

"Schemee... I tried to tell you earlier, when we went out... And I tried to call last night." Schemer said weakly, trailing off.

"Uncle, tell me now!" Schemee snapped. "What are these for?"

Schemer blinked and straightened up as best he could, he couldn't avoid the lie for much longer, but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud yet. "Schemee, I'm getting treatments. It's fine."

"Treatments for WHAT?" Schemee was shaking with anger. "Why are you still lying? Why?!"

Schemer looked his nephew in the eyes, and felt immense guilt. He thought he could beat it before anyone found out about it, instead he was in way over his head. He swallowed and slowly removed his hat. He didn't have his wig or fake curl on today, just a hat over his closely buzzed hair.

"Cancer. It's cancer." He said dully, the words resounding in his head like a most unwanted echo.

Schemee was breathing heavily, his eyes flicking between Schemer's head and eyes. "How long has this been going on? How long have you known?"

"Schemee, I didn't want you to worry…" He started to fallback on excuses, he knew he sounded pathetic but it wasn't any worse than he was feeling.

"I had heard from my friends that you didn't look so good, and when I asked you lied and said it was fine. Did you know then? Did you?" Schemee's eyes were beginning to redden and fill with tears.

"I never meant... I didn't want you to find out this way." Schemer's voice wavered.

"When did you want me to find out? At your funeral?!" Schemee angrily shouted, tears streaming down his face.

"Schemee, please stop!" Stacy cried, looking stricken.

"NO! No… He's been lying to me this whole time. Let me guess, you didn't want me to find out and hoped it would just go away? Or you just got so tangled in your web that you didn't know what to do?" He was pacing now. "How long have you know for? Stop bullshitting me!" He asked point blank, looking Schemer dead in the eyes.

Schemer, not even trying to deny any of the accusations, looked away. "Since summer of 2001, it got worse in early 2003. I just… didn't know when to tell you, and it all slipped away from me." He sighed heavily, the truth felt like a solid barrier between them.

The tears were gone now, replaced with only contempt and betrayal. Schemee lifted his chin. "You're so goddamn selfish." He said spitefully.

"Schemee…" Stacy tried to diffuse the situation, but he shoved past Schemer, knocking him with his shoulder in the process. Schemer let himself flatten against the wall he was leaning against, pressing his palms flat against the cool surface. Schemee left the pent house , loudly slamming the front door. Schemer let himself slide to the floor.

"Schemer?" Stacy asked carefully. He looked stricken with grief, well beyond crying. Stacy knew what this meant to him, what his nephew meant to him. Hurting him, losing his trust and respect was worse than his current health. He remained silent, staring at his hands draped over his knees.

She wordlessly started running a bath. After it had filled she lead him over to it and undressed him. He allowed her to wash his hair, and scrub his body, and he knew it was a way to help him wash away the pain. But it couldn't eliminate the emptiness that he was currently feeling. When she finished rinsing his head he tried to smile gratefully but it just revealed itself as a sad smile. "Thank you." He said quietly.

As he looked at her though, he knew she too was upset at him. He could see the same betrayal in her eyes that was in Schemee's. Unlike Schemee, whom he had indirectly lied to by keeping his secret from, he had lied to her face.

"_You told him? You for sure told him?__" __She asked. _

_He smiled and kissed her. __"__Of course.__"_

* * *

Karma Police - Radiohead


	18. I Don't Feel Lucky

**December 2003**

* * *

To his surprise, she did not leave him. She cared for him and was affectionate as always. He did feel that something had changed, ever so slightly, but hoped he would be able to make it up to her. However, he was alternating between days of joy of having her around and crushing hopelessness of his ever present health issues. She kept him grounded, but between the issues with Schemee and his cancer he was feeling as low as low could be.

It all came to a head one night when he awoke suddenly, a sharp pain ripping through his abdomen.

"Stacy!" He gasped painfully.

She woke up immediately. "What's wrong?"

"I.. I don't know…" The pain didn't go away, it persisted viciously.

"What's your doctor's emergency number?"

* * *

In short notice, he found himself in a sedative fuelled haze on a gurney, headed for the operating room. There was little time to lose, and his doctor had given the order for early, emergency surgery. The IV was hooked up to his arm. He felt a strange nothingness, the drugs were definitely making him calmer than he thought he would be in this moment.

He remembered up until the anesthesia mask was placed on his face. He suddenly pictured himself back at Shining Time Station, in the arcade, as his last thought before darkness took over.

* * *

"How do you feel?" A voice asked him, slowly rousing him from his haze.

He furrowed his brow deeply as he became more aware of his surroundings. He was resting on a soft surface and couldn't feel much. There was a dull ache in his abdomen but even that was muted. The light felt bright, even through his eyelids and he did not attempt to open them until it stopped piercing his vision. Slowly blinking he tried to move his hand up to his eyes but it felt extraordinarily heavy. A light touch stopped his attempts.

"You're hooked up to the IV and painkiller drip, careful not to pull them out." Schemee said simply.

"When did I get here?" Schemer groggily asked.

"Night before last for surgery, and then you stabilized and recovered until now." He explained slowly.

Schemer exhaled deeply. "What did the doctor say?" He asked cautiously.

"The surgery was fine, they're still keeping you on the treatments but nothing has gotten any worse." Schemee was keeping a calm demeanour compared to the last time Schemer had seen him. "They said that you're lucky that the surgery happened before it's scheduled time. It could have progressed."

"I don't feel lucky." Schemer grumbled, but his annoyance faded into guilt as he saw Schemee's cool mask slip into place. He was hitting nerves no doubt.

"They'll talk to you more about it." Schemee got up to leave.

"Wait, is Stacy here?" Schemer asked hopefully. He didn't want to push Schemee too much but he was hoping for company.

"She's been here, but they couldn't let her stay past regular hours since she's not family." Schemee said as he pulled his coat on, leaving without another word.

* * *

I Need a Doctor - Dr. Dre


	19. The Question

**June 2004**

* * *

Six months had passed since the surgery and his treatments had resumed. The recovery was arduous. Schemer was hospital bound for a few weeks before being deemed strong enough to leave again. It killed him to be away from Stacy because she wasn't allowed to be with him after visiting hours. But she was there most of the time when he was allowed visitors. As usual she was happy to see him, and her smiled warmed his core. He was just glad to be out of the hospital and back at his own place.

"I promise that I'll make it all up to you one day." He told her one night over dinner.

"You don't need to do anything more than you've already done for me." She said with a smile.

"I haven't done anything nearly as important than what you've done for me." He was confused at her statement.

"You brought me happiness when I was at a low point in my life." She confessed and squeezed his hand.

To his shame realized that he never knew she was at a low point when they reunited. This was new to him, and he felt guilty for not ever asking. Although she had never made any indication that she ever wanted to talk about it. In fact, anytime she was asked about her recent past before reuniting with him, she seemed very uncomfortable. Perhaps one day he'd know.

"Don't forget about your appointment tomorrow." She reminded him, bringing him out of his thoughts.

He frowned. Or perhaps he wouldn't.

* * *

As he sat in his doctor's office, he was reminded of the time that the doctor had first told him about the seriousness of his cancer. The doctor sat across from him with a slight frown, looking at the latest test results. Schemer sat preparing for the worst, he had been waiting for the other foot to fall for the better part of the last year. Finally his doctor looked up and Schemer braced himself. However, Schemer was surprised when the doctor smiled.

* * *

"Complete remission." He told Stacy when he got home.

Happy tears formed in her eyes and she embraced him hard. It hadn't sunk in fully until that moment and he felt the weight of the last two years roll off his back. He kissed her full on the mouth and when they broke apart, forehead's resting together, he asked her the question that cancer had held back.

"Marry me?"

* * *

I Need You - The Beatles


	20. I Can Do That

**June 2004**

* * *

She opened her eyes abruptly, fear evident in them. Schemer searched them desperately, looking for a sign of happiness.

"Stacy?" He asked hopefully, but he felt it dying in his chest.

"I… I can't." She looked wildly at him like a caged animal. He let go to give her some space.

"Why?" He asked, no, pleaded.

"Because I just can't!" She cried painfully.

"Please, Stacy, this is a good thing. We are a good thing! We've been through so much, we found each other again." He tried to explain to her, trying to understand why she was so upset. "Can you just please tell me why you can't?"

She took a deep, calming breath, trying to compose herself.

"I can't do marriage, I can't let myself be confined again. I can't give that much of myself to another person again only for it to end. I can't trust like that again." She explained remorsefully. "It has nothing to do with you, please understand that."

Schemer felt what little hope he had left disappear only to be replaced with anger. It always came down to Ned. She couldn't trust him like Ned, she couldn't see herself marrying him but Ned was fine. He was suddenly reminded of the fight they had years ago when Ned returned, and he felt his anger subside. Yelling at each other only ended up with them being estranged for years. It wasn't worth it.

"I'm not Ned." He said simply.

"I know, and thank goodness for that." She agreed. He looked up to meet her eyes, curious about what she meant.

"He left me with trust issues, to say the least." She shrugged, not saying much more on the topic.

"I know you don't want to talk about him, but please know that I would never hurt you Stacy." He pleaded, trying to get through to her.

"But you would lie to me." She looked at him and the truth shook him. It was true, and he had done it recently.

He didn't answer and she sighed in sorrow. "I know why you did it, and I told myself I'd stay by your side despite it, but I can't forget it." She explained.

"I know I messed up, but I promise it's all behind me." He swore to her. "If you stay with me I promise it will never come between us again."

"Schemer, if I stay, I can never get married again. Are you ever going to be truly happy being with someone who was married before but can't marry you? Can you promise that it would never bother you?" She asked him pointedly.

He gapped at the question, she gave a sad smile at his lack of response. "Schemer, I'm going to stay at my sister's for awhile. To get some air and to clear my head."

She turned to go get her things. Tears sprung in his eyes. "Yes, I could. I absolutely could."

She turned around in surprise, with tears also in her eyes.

"Listen, I know you probably need some time to think. And to clear your mind and to get rid of whatever pain that you won't share with me. But I promise you, I would never let you down ever again. Please, just think about us. Can you use, let's say four months, to think about our future and then if you decide to come back I'll be waiting. But if I don't hear from you, I'll assume that you don't want anything and I promise I will never bother you again." He pledged hopefully.

There was a long pause and he felt his heart sink once more until she spoke.

"I can do that."

* * *

Lighthouse - Hush Sound


	21. Unceremonious

**August 2004**

* * *

Only two months had passed when he got a call. He was at work for the day, and it was on his answering machine when he returned.

_"Hi Schemer. I just wanted to see if you were free. I'll be in town in two days and if you're willing I'd like to talk. I can come by your place in the evening around 7 pm if that's okay."_

He felt the hope spread through his chest despite himself. Her voice was very hard to read, but she sounded what he thought to be happy. However, he was dreadfully nervous, and was trying to assume the worst because he didn't want to be let down. But still, it was hard to not feel hopeful.

Two days passed quickly, and he found that his nervousness only grew. The thought of seeing her again brought him anxiety and happiness at the same time. He spent most of the day running around, trying to keep his mind occupied with some work, and picking up some of the things that she liked. He realized that he had forgotten his phone so he hoped she wasn't trying to get ahold of him. His errands took a little bit longer than anticipated and it was nearly 6:30 pm by the time he got home.

He walked in with a bouquet of her favourite flowers and was surprised to see Schemee sitting in his living room.

"Schemee? What're you doing here?" He asked curiously, still holding the flowers.

But the look in Schemee's eyes when he lifted his head to meet his Uncle's gaze chilled Schemer immediately to the bone.

"What's wrong?" Schemer asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I've been trying to get ahold of you all afternoon, you haven't talked to anyone else today have you?" Schemee asked with a raspy voice.

"No, I've been out." Schemer felt his heart tighten. "What's wrong?"

Schemee walked up and placed his hands on his Uncle's shoulders. Schemer barely heard anything that he said, only registering the key words like 'Stacy' and 'car crash' and 'I'm so sorry'.

The flowers hit the floor with a unceremonious thud.

* * *

Mary Jane's Last Dance - Tom Petty


End file.
